Three Provinces Declared Security Zones

On 6 June, the Turkish General Staff announced that three south-eastern provinces near the Iraqi border, namely Siirt, Hakkari and Sirnak, would become "temporary security zones" as of 9 June, ending on 9 September.

On its official website, coordinates of locations where it will be forbidden to pass are given.

According to the Turkish television channel NTV, which claimed to use military sources, the announcement was a warning for civilian air traffic and ground movements.

Erdogan: We authorised decision

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the Haber 24 news channel yesterday night, saying: "Our security forces have declared this sensitive region a space of military activity. For one, this is a routine process every year. "

He was referring to the fact that in many years both PKK and the army stepped up operations towards the summer. Erdogan added that the government had given authorisation.

No state of emergency planned

When asked whether a widening of scope could be expected, Erdogan assured that there would be no return to the state of emergency that was declared in many eastern and south-eastern provinces since the 1980s and only lifted a few years ago.

However, he also defended the right of the army to increase its presence in the areas, particularly after the recent PKK attack in Tunceli. (TK/EÜ/AG/EÜ)